To avoid disaster, it is sometimes appropriate to provide a containment system for potential explosions, detonations, or other energetic events. The explosion may eject large and small objects and particles (referred to herein collectively as “fragments”), as well as expanding gases. The containment system should contain the exploding fragments and should allow the expanding gases to diffuse into the atmosphere.
More specifically, an energetic event, such as an explosion, can expel a wide range of fragments at a wide range of speeds. Relatively massive fragments, as large as 4.5 kg, can be expelled at speeds below 90 m/s. Lower mass fragments, less than 0.5 kg, can be expelled at speeds of 900 m/s.
One approach to containing explosions is the use of a “gravel gertie”, such as developed by the Sandia Corporation in the 1950's to contain nuclear explosions. A gravel gertie is a dome-shaped gravel cover over an underground room used to assemble nuclear weapons. The gravel gertie is supported by steel cables strung from concrete walls surrounding the room. Layers of steel wire mesh are used to contain the gravel. If an accidental explosion in the room were to occur, the gravel roof would lift then fall back, filtering the nuclear material from escaping gasses and preventing them from entering the atmosphere.